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Obol
| Issuer | Abdera |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 425 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | May, Abdera#191, HGC 3.2#1152 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain incuse square divided into four quadrants by a raised cruciform pattern, characteristic of the mill-sail or quadripartite incuse technique common to archaic Greek coinage of the fifth century BC. The incuse is deeply recessed with a prominent central raised cross, and the interior surfaces show irregular texture from the hammering process. No inscription or device is present within the incuse field. This reverse type is consistent with the standard fabric of Abderite fractions of this era. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Abdera, on the Thracian coast, was refounded around 545 BC by refugees fleeing the Persian advance into Ionia — a city with displacement written into its founding. By the mid-fifth century it had become wealthy enough from Aegean trade that even its smallest fractional silver was carefully struck. The obol sat at the bottom of that denominational structure, a working coin.
May's die study identifies this type within a tightly sequenced series, useful for pinning down the issuing magistrate's tenure with more precision than the broad date range suggests.